15 fun activities for Present Simple/Present Continuous. The best way of teaching the present tenses is to compare and contrast them. These ideas will show you how to do the even more difficult task of combining them in practice activities, all of them done in simple and entertaining ways. Your ESL students can easily learn to differentiate between the present simple and the present continuous if you give them some fun speaking activities.
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Many students learning English as a foreign language struggle to use the different verb tenses effectively, appropriately and consistently. Frankly, I know a few native English speakers who could use a little practice. In any case, over the course of five years of teaching, I have found that writing prompts which focus exclusively on a single tense can be extremely helpful for students.
Effective use, especially in creative writing, develops over time as the student learns to shift between tenses for accuracy and effect. This approach is especially effective for students who are not particularly concerned with the various names of each tense, as it emphasizes the situations for which each tense is most often used. This allows students to 'get a feel' for the different voices and how they all work together.
Below, I have supplied some of the more popular tense-specific writing prompts. I encourage anyone who uses these prompts for practice to leave some feedback about what worked, what didn't, and anything else that might be helpful.
Tips for Classroom Use
Before we jump in, here are some tips for using these prompts in the classroom. Yugioh duelist of the roses iso.
Present Tense Writing Prompts
The present tense, in these cases, includes the simple present ('She always forgets something') and the present continuous ('I am coming'), as well as the trickier present perfect ('We have seenThe Matrix far too many times') and present perfect continuous ('She has been singing since her second glass of wine'). However, it is of course possible to split the four into their own writing prompt, or to combine any number of them as is deemed necessary.
Simple Present
Present Continuous (am/is/are + present participle)
Present Perfect (has/have + past participle)
Present Perfect Continuous (has/have + been + present participle)
Past Tense Writing Prompts
I'll present the past tense writing prompts in much the same way, although I strongly encourage teachers and students to recombine them as they see fit, and to explore the ways each tense supports and is supported by others. More advanced ESL or EFL students will find the recombination process to be an excellent opportunity to clarify their understanding of particular uses, and to explore common partnerships between the tenses.
Past Simple
Past Perfect [had + past participle]
Past Continuous [was/were + verb-ing]
Past Perfect Continuous [had + been + verb-ing]
Future Tense Writing PromptsFuture Simple [will + verb in present form]
Future Continuous [will + be + verb-ing]
Future Perfect [will have + verb in past participle form]
Future Perfect Continuous [will have been + past participle]
The two main uses of future perfect continuous are: to explain the cause of a future situation or action; and to express a clear future duration.
Ex. 'You will have been driving for more than six hours, so I will drive after dinner.'
Poll for ESL/EFL Teachers, Tutors, and StudentsWhat subjects you would like material or lesson plans for? I would be very happy to provide exercises and explanations for any subject.
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Teaching the present continuous usually takes place after the present, past, and future simple forms have been introduced. However, many books and curricula choose to introduce the present continuous immediately after the present simple. This order can be confusing as students may have difficulties understanding the subtlety of something that happens as a routine and an action that takes places at the moment of speaking. No matter when you introduce this tense, it's important to provide as much context as possible by using appropriate time expressions, such as now, at the moment, currently, etc.
How to Introduce the Present Continuous
Start by Modeling the Present Continuous
Begin teaching the present continuous by speaking about what is happening in the classroom at the moment of introduction. Once students recognize this usage, extend to other things you know are happening now. This can include simple facts such as The sun is shining at the moment. We're learning English at the moment. etc. Make sure to mix it up by using a number of different subjects.
I'm teaching the present continuous right now.
My wife is working in her office at the moment. Those boys are playing tennis over there. etc. Present Continuous Tense Speaking Activities In The Classroom Activities
Choose a magazine or web page with lots of activity, go through a number of pages, and ask students questions based on the photo.
What are they doing now?
What is she holding in her hand? Which sport are they playing? etc.
To teach the negative form, use the magazine or web pages to ask yes or no questions focusing on eliciting a negative response. You may want to model a few examples before asking students.
Is she playing tennis? - No, she isn't playing tennis. She's playing golf.
Is he wearing shoes? - No, he's wearing boots. (Asking students) Are they eating lunch? Is she driving a car? etc.
Once students have practiced a few rounds of questions, distribute magazines or other pictures around the classroom and ask students to grill each other on what is happening at the moment.
How to Practice the Present Continuous
Explaining the Present Continuous on the Board
Use a present continuous timeline to illustrate the fact that the present continuous is used to express what is happening at the moment. If you feel comfortable with the level of the class, introduce the idea that the present continuous can be used to speak about what is happening around the present moment in time. It's a good idea at this point to contrast the present continuous auxiliary verb 'to be' with other auxiliary verbs, pointing out that 'ing' must be added to the verb in the present continuous form.
Comprehension Activities
Comprehension activities such as using photos in magazines will help with the present continuous. Present continuous dialogues can also help illustrate the form. Present continuous worksheets will help tie in the form with appropriate time expressions. Review quizzes contrasting present simple with the present continuous will also help.
Continued Activity Practice
Present Continuous Tense Speaking Activities In The Classroom Pdf
It's a good idea to compare and contrast the present continuous with the present simple form once students have understood the difference. Using the present continuous for other purposes such as discussing present projects at work or speaking about future scheduled meetings will help students become familiar with other uses of the present continuous form.
Challenges with the Present Continuous
The greatest challenge with present continuous is understanding the difference between a routine action (present simple) and an activity occurring at the moment. It's quite common for students to use the present continuous to speak about daily habits once they've learned the form, so comparing the two forms early on will help students understand the differences. The use of the present continuous to express future scheduled events is best left for intermediate level classes. Finally, students might also have difficulties understanding that stative verbs may not be used with continuous forms.
Present Continuous Lesson Plan Example
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